Former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kwadwo Adjei Darko, has called for a comprehensive review of Ghana’s local governance system, proposing that Members of Parliament (MPs) should no longer benefit from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
According to him, MPs do not have voting rights in District Assemblies and, therefore, should not be allocated a portion of the Common Fund.
He has instead proposed that the share of the DACF currently allocated to MPs be transferred to elected Assembly Members to strengthen grassroots development and deepen decentralisation.
Mr. Adjei Darko made the call while delivering a keynote address at the Conference of Ashanti Regional Presiding Members held in Kumasi.
Speaking on the theme of strengthening local governance during the Ashanti Region presiding members conference the former minister argued that the current arrangement undermines the constitutional principle of decentralisation and weakens the role of Assembly Members, who are the direct representatives of their communities.
He noted that Ghana’s decentralisation process began in 1988 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), when District Assemblies were established under PNDC Law 207.
However, he said the system at the time largely transferred responsibilities to the local level without the corresponding financial resources, describing the arrangement as “deconcentration” rather than genuine decentralisation.
Mr. Adjei Darko said the 1992 Constitution significantly advanced the decentralisation process through the establishment of the District Assemblies Common Fund under Article 252.
He added that Article 240 also requires Parliament to ensure the transfer of functions, powers, responsibilities and resources from central government to local government institutions.
According to him, although these constitutional provisions have contributed to the delegation of responsibilities to local authorities, Ghana is yet to achieve true devolution, where local authorities have meaningful autonomy, adequate resources and corresponding accountability.
Presiding Members urged to put development above politics
The President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Alfred Asiedu Adjei, also urged Presiding Members to put politics aside and focus on advancing development in their respective communities.
He said effective leadership at the local level should be measured by the positive impact leaders make in their communities rather than the positions they occupy.
“Leadership is not measured by the authority we possess but by the positive change we inspire. Communities do not remember leaders for the titles they held; they remember them for the problems they solved,” he said.
Mr. Asiedu Adjei said Presiding Members are critical to the effective functioning of Ghana’s local governance system.
He noted that although many people perceive Presiding Members mainly as officials who chair Assembly meetings, their responsibilities go beyond presiding over debates.
He therefore urged Presiding Members to use their positions to promote accountability, consensus-building and development at the grassroots level.
